Stopper-extractor



C. DREW.

STOPPER EXTRACTOR.

APPLICATION FILED mums. 191a.

Patented Feb. 10,1920.

uuamto'a 6 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLAUDE DREW, OF KINGS LYNN, ENGLAND.

STOPPER-EXTRAGTOR.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CLAUDE DREW, asubject ofthe King of England, residing at Kings Lynn, Norfolk, England, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Stopper-Extractors, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and novel form ofstopper extractor which is easily insertible through the stopper andprovided with means adapted to bear against the stopper on the bottomend thereof, the said means having a radial extent that will permit itshaving a relatively great bearing surface on the bottom of the stopper,thereby providing for withdrawing the stopper without the danger ofmutilation. To this end the invention comprises a staff, a tubularmember slidably mounted on the staff, an entrance screw formed at thelower end of the staff to provide means for driving the staff through astopper, and link members connected between the staff and the sleeve,the link members being adapted for spreading and abutting the bottomface of the stopper and taking the thrust of the extracting operation.The invention is illustrated and described in but one embodiment towhich, however, it is not to be restricted. The right is reserved tomake such changes or alterations as the actual reduc tion to practicemay suggest, in so far as such changes or alterations are compatible inspirit with the annexed claims.

The same numerals of reference designate the same parts throughout theseveral figures of the drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a central vertical sectional view through the improvedextractor and the neck and stopper of a bottle, the extractor beingshown in its initial position after having been forced through thestopper.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 1, but shows the link membersof the device spread for the extracting operation.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view looking at that end of the device whichpenetrates the stopper the link members in this figure being shownspread for the extracting operation.

Fig. 4.- is a detail perspective view of the lower end of the staff andits attendant screw, the links which are attached between the sleeve andthe staff being omitted in this figure. I

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 19, 1919.

Patented Feb. 10, 1920.

Serial No. 305,450.

Referring to the drawings, the invention is shown as comprising a staff1 which is enlarged adjacent one end, as indicated at 2, that portion ofthe staff above the enlarged end being formed to provide a tang 3designed to attach the handle 41 to the staff. The enlarged portion 2 isformed to provide a shoulder on that end opposite the tang and the staflfrom this latter shoulder to its main portion tapers as indicated at 5,thus providing a frusto-conical portion connecting the enlarged portion2 with the straight portion 1 of the staff.

At the lower extremity of the staff there is formed a screw'G whichsimulates a wood screw and which at the end remote from the point is ofa diameter equal to or slightly greater than the sleeve 7 which iscarried on the staff and which is slidable longitudinally therealong.The upper end of the sleeve is flared outwardly, as indicated at 8 tocorrespond in shape to the frusto-conical portion 5, the enlarged upperend of the sleeve abutting the shoulder formed at the enlarged portion 2when the sleeve is in its normal position on the staff.

A finger gripping device 9-comprising a ring with two radially disposeddiametrically opposite arms is provided and attached to the sleeveadjacent the frusto-conical portion 8 thereof. .The purpose of thisfinger gripping device appears hereinafter.

The sleeve is of a shorter length than the staff and-is adapted to movealong the staff from the shoulder adjacent the enlarged portion 2 to theupper ends of the tapering ribs 10 which are formed with or connected tothe staff adjacent its lower ends and are likewise connected with theupper end of the screw, as clearly indicated in Fig. 4-. These ribstaper in width, the pointed ends being up the staff and the full widthends connecting with the screw 6, each rib adjacent the screw beingprovided with an eye 11 through which there passes a pin or pivot 12,the latter serving to secure links 13 on opposite sides of the rib. Theremaining ends of the links which are of course assembled in pairs, twobeing attached to each rib, are connected together by means of a pin 14with a spacer 15 carried on the pin and disposed between the two linkscomprising any one pair. These pins 14 serve also to secure to each pairof links 13 a pair of links 16 which are disposed on the outsides of thetwo links 13. The remaining ends of these links 16 are pivotallyattached to ears 1? formed on the lower end of the sleeve 7 .pins 18passing through the links 16 and through the ears 17 to effect thisattachment.

In the normal position of the device, the sleeve member 7 is raised onthe staff until its upper end abuts the shoulder of the enlarged portion2 adjacent the frusto-conical portion 5. In such a position of thesleeve member, the links 13 and 16 are alined in the direction of theirlengths and lie against the staff 1 between the ribs 10 thereof. In sucha position of the different parts of the device, the screw 6 may be madeto pass through a stopper, such as the one indicated at 19 and the stafiand sleeve will follow this screw, the hole made by the screw beingsufficient to permit the links as well as the sleeve passing through thestopper, as shown in Fig. 1. So soon as the device has been passedthrough the stopper far enough for the lower end of the sleeve toprotrude through the bottom of the stopper, a pull exerted on the handlea in the direction of the length of the staff 1 will tend to raise thestaff in the sleeve member and thus spread the links 16 and 18 untilthey assume the positions shown in Figs. 2 and 3, when the links 16 willstand substantially at right angles to the staff with the links 13disposed diagonally with reference thereto. Continuing the pull exertedon the handle will then serve to extract the cork 19 from the neck ofthe bottle 20 as is clearly apparent. The cork having been extracted, torelease the device it is only necessary to catch the finger grip 9 withthe fingers when the hand rests on top of the handle 4: and exert apressure tending to move the finger grip 9 toward the handle, when thesleeve and the staff are moved to assume their former positions and thelinks are straightened out to fall in longitudinal alinement against thestaff 1, the device thereafter being extracted from the cork byreversing the operation which caused it to penetrate the cor I.

From the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings, it isbelieved that a clear enough understanding of the invention is to be hadto render further description unnecessary.

The invention having been described, what is claimed as new and, usefulis:

1. A stopper extractor comprising a staff, a sleeve in surroundingrelation to the stafl and longitudinally movable therealong, the staffbeing formed at one end with a screw of gradually increasing diameterfrom this point to the point where it connects with the stafi, linkspivotally connected with the staff, other links pivotally connected withthe sleeve and also pivotally connect-ed with the first said links, anda handle carried by the staff at the end remote from the screw, wherebythe staff and the sleeve may be moved relative to each other to effectthe relative spreading of the links or their relative longitudinalalinement as are herein shown and specified.

A stopper extractor comprising a staff, a sleeve in surrounding relationto the staff and longitudinally movable therealong, the staff beingformed at one end with a screw of gradually increasing diameter fromthis point to the point where it connects with the staff, linkspivotally connected with the staff, other links pivotally connected withthe sleeve and also pivotally connected with the first said links, ahandle carried by the stall at the end remote from the screw, and afinger grip carried by the sleeve, whereby the staff and the sleeve maybe moved relative to each other to effect the relative spreading of thelinks of their relative longitudinal alinement as are herein shown andspecified.

3. A stopper extractor comprising a staff having a stopper penetratingelement at one end, a sleeve in surrounding relation to the staff andlongitudinally movable therealong, links pivotally connected with thestaff adjacent the stopper penetrating element, other links pivotallyconnected with the sleeve and also pivotally connected with the firstsaid links, and a handle carried by the staff at the end remote from thestopper penetrating element, whereby the staff and the sleeve may bemoved relative to each other to effect the relative spring of the linksor their relative longitudinal alinement as herein shown and specified.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

CLAUDE DRElV.

